Somewhat Unexpected
by Didi
Summary: Some things you can see from a mile away. Other things you can’t until they come right up to you and socks you in the nose. Jubilee


Somewhat Unexpected 

By: Didi

**Disclaimer:**  Who owns the recognizable characters?  Not me, that's for sure.  I'm going to assume, like every other person that's reading this, that Stan Lee and Marvel own all legal rights.  Although according to a friend, copyright issues are rather tricky and everything in his disclaimer would turn out not to be true…  Hum… now there's a thought to chew on.  

**Summary:  **Some things you can see from a mile away.  Other things you can't until they come right up to you and socks you in the nose.

**Rating:**  I wanted to keep this at PG but decided that it would be a more interesting story if I at least have it at PG-13.  After all, I truly believe that all comics are rated PG-13.  Heck, some of them border NC-17.  But we're not going to go there since this website does not allow it anymore.  

**Author's Note:**  Stand alone.  No prequel, sequel or repeats…. I think…I hope.  Okay, honestly it would only depend on whether this bugger of an idea leaves me after I've completed this, not that I would be the first person to think of this.  And this has nothing to do with the silence series on Jubilee and Northstar… at least not really.  Okay, maybe superficially.  

"Speech."  *Thoughts.*   _Flashback._

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

            "And where are you going?  Better yet, what the hell are you wearing?"

            "Do you like it?"

            "No."

            "No?" the disbelief making her eyes wide.

            "No," he repeated firmly with a shake of his head.  "You need to put something on over that thing.   You're practically naked."

            Jubilee rolled her eyes and ignored the order.  Turning around, she gave the ensemble a cursory glance over in the mirror.  The smoky gray dress was cut provocatively short, shaved off at three inches below her hips.  The thin straps were more accessories than an actual functioning part of the garb.  The dressmaker had nipped and tucked at all the right places to further accentuate the soft feminine curves usually hidden under baby tees and faded jeans.  The two inch silver strap sandals with its matching clutch purse completed the outfit.  She had wanted nothing to distract from the dress and left off all jewelry except the thick silver charm bracelet with its lone X charm that had been a gift from Jean Grey-Summer on her sweet sixteen.  

            "You need a coat," she was reminded once again as she applied a thin layer to shiny gloss on her lips.

            "It's eighty five degrees out."

            "It could turn any moment," came the dire and desperate warning.

            "Only if Storm was around," she replied cheerfully.  She gave him an indulgent smile.  "Will you stop acting like you're my dad or something?  I think Wolvie might take offense at having that role usurped."  

            "Where the hell is Logan, anyways?  Why isn't he here scaring off the boyfriend?"

            "First of all, Gerry isn't my boyfriend; this is just a date and nothing more.  Secondly, I told Wolvie I won't speak to him ever again if he showed his face tonight," she said pinching her pale cheeks to give it some color.  That was the big problem with having porcelain skin, she always looked deathly pale no matter what she did.  "Jeremy Woods still won't come within a hundred feet.  He runs in the other direction every time he sees me.  It's becoming embarrassing." 

            "What did Logan say to him?" hoping to get a tip or two.

            "Don't know," with a shrug.  "Wolvie won't talk about it and I can't hold Jeremy down long enough to ask."  

            "Jubilee…."

            "Honestly Bobby, you're the last person I'd expect to play mother hen."  She laughed and dropped the lip-gloss into her purse and clicked it smartly close.  Suspicion began to grow as she eyed the most laidback X-Man she knew.  "Did Wolvie sent you here in his place?"

            "No," the X-Man known primarily as Iceman answered honestly.  *It was Scott,* who had also been banished from the front hallways with a little help from his wife, who sided most adamantly with young Jubilation in this matter.  

            _"And why can't you do this on your own?" Bobby asked after having been asked to spy on Jubilee that evening before she went on her date.  The last thing he wanted to do on a depressingly lonely Friday evening is to encounter a happy giggly teenager on her way out.  'Vent the prospective' is what it was being called now.  In Bobby's way of thinking, it was putting the fear of God into the poor saps that were unfortunate enough to fall under Jubilation Lee's charmingly endearing spell.  _

_            "Because Jean says that I'm holding on too tight," Scott had grumbled surly.  He obviously disagreed with his wife's assessment of his protective nature toward the youngster.  "I'm sleeping on the couch for the rest of the month if I so much as step within fifty feet of the front door."_

_            It was amusing enough for Bobby to react.  "Not easy being married to a telepath, is it?"_

_            "You have no idea."  He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the door, as if expecting his wife to walk through it any second.  "Just do this, okay?  The last thing we need is for her to be kidnapped or something…" he made a face and reached out to knock on the wood table smartly._

_            Now Bobby was having a good time.  "Okay, okay.  I can see this is making you rather… anxious."_

_            "I want her protected," Scott insisted firmly.  "We've lost enough of the next generation for me to want to be cautious."_

            Understanding Scott's fears better that the other man will ever know, Bobby agreed with a nod of his head.  *What's the harm it in?*

            Of course, that had been four hours ago and Bobby hadn't seen the barely-there dress that the usually modestly dressed Jubilee was now wearing.  

            "At least put a scarf on or something," Bobby pleaded with her.  He didn't need Logan and Scott's reminders in his head as to what to be looking out for.  Having been around the dating block a couple of times now, he knew without a doubt that what Jubilee was wearing was asking for trouble.  "I've got a nice big coat upstairs that would look just perfect with those shoes."

            "Like heck!  Emma spent a fortune on this thing.  I'm not going to hide it behind some ugly coat."

            Bobby made a mental note to sic Scott or Logan on Emma Frost, the corset-wearing Queen of Lingerie.  Or better yet, turn all the shower settings in _Ms._ Frost's suite to ice cold.  Or maybe a little itching powder in her underwear drawers… the possibilities were endless.  "Look Lee…"

            "Do you like it?" one brow rising with the lifting of her questioning voice.

            Knowing that look, Bobby treaded carefully.  "You look very pretty."  

            The grin she gave him was maddening, as was the question the followed.  "Do you think it's get a rise out of him?"

            "It'd get a rise out of a dead man," he muttered unconsciously… then blushed horribly as he realized what he just said and whom he just said it to.  

            Laughing with delight, Julie leaned over and instinctively kissed his cheek as she would Wolvie or Scott had they been the ones standing there lecturing her on the evils of men.  "Thanks.  I think that's a the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

            A little stunned by her open show of affections, something he was so not use to living in a house with people that for most parts have to suppress their emotions on a daily basis for survival reasons, that Jubilee nearly slipped out the door before he had a chance to get one more word in on that damn dress.  

            No doubt about it, that dress has got to go.  No hot-blooded male was going to be thinking straight when she was wearing that _thing_ around.  She looked much too… too… too damn _grown up_ in that dress…like a real woman… an incredibly beautiful woman… a breathtakingly beautiful woman. 

            Shaking his head to stop that line of thinking, Bobby reached out and grabbed Jubilee's arm.  She turned around and looked at him with brilliant blue eyes wide with questioningly curiosity.  *Lord she's pretty,* then gave himself a mental slap across the face.  He felt like a lecherous bastard.  Letting go, "Please put on at least a jacket… for my sake.  I don't want to be stuck playing nurse if you end up with a cold or something."

            A tiny frown appeared over her brows as she stared at him for a moment, trying to gage the level of seriousness he was putting into the request.  When she realized that he was in earnest, she nodded reluctantly.  "All right, Bobby.  If you insist."

            "Thank you," he replied, holding out the short black jacket he grabbed from a coat tree by the door.  Feeling like he's done some good by at least getting those lovely shoulders covered, "Don't forget curfew."

            "Midnight," she repeated dutifully with an exasperated smile.  "I know.  Scott's drilled it into my head so many times now that I can probably recite it in my sleep."

            "Good."  He made a mental note to thank Scott for that.  "And have a good time."  

            Jubilee's eyes lit up with amusement.  "And just how good of a time do you want me to be having?"  

            The teasingly inquisitive look in her eyes set off alarms in his head.  "Not that good of a time."

            Giggling because she found this side of Bobby Drakes to be more that just amusing, it was down right hilarious, she reached out and gave his hand a squeeze before she opened the door.  "I'll see you in the morning.  Don't wait up for me.  Good night, Bobby."

            He nodded, unable to shake the unease in his guts.  "Good night," he whispered to the closed door.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Nick Charles and his lovely wife were about to solve the mystery of the series of deaths when the telephone shrilled in the silent room.  Shaking his head to dislodge his thoughts from the Dashiell Hammett's classic novel, Bobby frowned and picked up his seldom-used cell phone.  Why use a cell phone when you live with some of the most powerful telepaths in the world?  But Warren and Scott had insisted… and prevailed.  

            "Hello?" he answered questioningly.  He could probably count on his fingers and toes how many people knew this particular number.  And even _he _won't even be among them.  

            "Bobby?" 

            The slight hesitation in the usually self-assured voice had him bolting up in bed.  "Jubilee?  What is it?  What's wrong?"

            There was a long sigh from the other end.  "Is anyone with you right now?"

            "No."

            "Good, let's keep it that way."

            "Jubie…"

            "Listen, I'm fine.  Don't worry about it.  I need a huge favor."

            "What?"

            "I need you to come get me without anyone else in the house knowing."  

            His hand tightened on the phone.  "Why?"

            Another sigh came.  "Look, whatever it is you're thinking, I can pretty much assure you that it's not going to be even close.  I just… I don't…  Wolvie and Scott will completely over react and I don't want this to be any bigger than it already is."

            *Yeah, like that wasn't cryptic.*  Knowing that her trust was important, "Are you sure you're all right?"

            "Yeah," came the answer.  "I'm headed south on Pentella Road.  If you drive up you should see me pretty easily."

            Alarms went off in his head.  "Pentella?  Where exactly on Pentella are you coming from?"  

            It didn't take a telepath to know that she was reluctant to tell him.  "Just south of Look-Out point."  

            Tugging on his jacket, he almost gave into the temptation to growl into the phone and ask what the hell she was doing at 'Make-Out Point.'  But with a great deal of restraint, more than he thought he had, he managed to reframe from making a complete ass of himself and merely said, "I'll be there in ten minutes."  

            "Thanks, Bobby," she replied before the phone went dead.  

            Though he wouldn't have preferred to keep her on the phone, Bobby didn't want to waste time by arguing the point with her.  Grabbing his keys, he was sane enough to keep in mind that any excuse he made would have be out of Wolverine and Jean Grey's earshot.  Logan was a human lie detector with that nose of his and Jean… Well, it was most exasperatingly difficult to lie to a telepath.  He could only hope that Logan was at his usual cigar smoking spot and Jean had dragged Scott off so that the fearless leader wasn't stalking around the front door for Jubilee's return.  Leaping over the last five steps on the grand staircase, he almost collided with Jean-Paul Beaubier as the French Canadian rounded the corner with his nose buried in a thick leather bound book that smelled of old libraries.  

            "In a hurry, Mr. Drake?" Jean-Paul asked, clearly annoyed.  "Or was it your intention to barrel people down in the foyer?"  

            "Not now, Jean-Paul," certainly not in the mood to play word games with the infuriatingly arrogant entrepreneur.  He could only be thankful that it is Jean-Paul and not some other member of the family.  

            The book snapped closed in Jean-Paul's hand as he took in Bobby's agitated movements.  "What's wrong?"

            "Wrong?" he paused at the door and asked, he glanced back and almost groans at the concern he could see on the other man's face.  He had hoped that Jean-Paul would be too self-involved not to notice anything around him unless absolutely necessary.  "What could possibly be wrong?"

            "You tell me," not buying it for a moment.  Crossing his arms over his chest, he regarded the Iceman with a stern and disapproving look.  "For one that's had extensive training here, you lie very badly."

            Under normal circumstances, Bobby would be into a hot discussion over what he thought of Jean-Paul's assessment of his character, but these were not normal circumstances.  "I'd love to stand here and chat with you, but I've got better things that needs attending to."

            "Like?" Jean-Paul asked.  His instincts for trouble had been well developed during his stunt with Alpha Flight as Northstar.  And the X-Men have not help to lessen his attention to that sixth sense of danger one gets when one wears a uniform for a purpose.  "What is happening that you do not wish the team to know?  Because that was obviously what is happening here."

            "Keep your nose out of it," he grumbled over his shoulders as he headed out.  One would think that the normally non-involved Jean-Paul would be the last person to be so persistent.  

            Never one to listen to others, Jean-Paul dumped his book on the nearby table and followed doggedly.  The last time he left Bobby to his own device with something that didn't feel quite right the damn pretty boy almost got himself killed.   "Do not be foolish.  Whatever it is…"

            "Does not involve this team," Bobby replied tersely.  

            "But if you need backup…"

            "I won't," slamming his car door.

            "Bobby…" resting his hands against the car door.  

            "Unless you wish to experience the unpleasantness of being run over by a car, I suggest you _move_," Bobby instructed as he started the engine.  

            Jean-Paul sighed, knowing a 'back-off' look when he saw it.  "Just be careful."

            Bobby's warped sense of humor chose that moment to rear its ugly head.  Grinning cheekily, "Why Jean-Paul, I didn't know you cared?"

            A thundercloud of darkness came over his features at his concern being made light of.  He was not one to express himself easily but he expected them to be taken seriously when he does.  "I don't.  I just don't want to have to go in search of your mangled body when you end up in a ditch somewhere due to your own stubborn stupidity."  

            "Don't worry, you won't." shifting touching the button overhead to unlock the gates before him.  

            "Bobby…" he couldn't help but try one more time.

            "It's nothing to do with mutant activities," Bobby replied quietly, understanding what teammates meant to each other; even if this was Jean-Paul Beaubier he was speaking of.  "I'll call if I need help," fishing his cell phone from his pocket and waved it merrily.

            "Do that," removing himself from the car.

            "See ya," Bobby called out as he tore down the driveway and away from the school.  

            Coughing delicately at the exhausted the little sports car managed to give off as he left, Jean-Paul stood there for a full minute just watching the taillights.  Something was definitely not right and he couldn't very well simply sit there and do nothing.  He may not have been with the X-Men long but he knew full well how they operate.  If he didn't tell someone, anyone, about this particular little episode, _he_ was likely to be blamed if anything does happen to the annoyingly charming Bobby Drake.  So, it was with a sigh that Jean-Paul headed back into the house in search of Henry McCoy to solve this little puzzle out.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            True to his words, ten minutes after leaving the mansion, Bobby spotted Jubilation's slender form slowly treading along the side of the road.  Her jacket was hugged tightly to her and her shoes were dangling from two fingers.  She didn't even look up as Bobby zoomed past her and made a sharp U-turn, kicking up dust and dirt.  

            "Jube!" Bobby slammed on the breaks and rushed out of the car.

            She looked up startled and just managed to keep from rushing into Bobby's arms.  She will live through this night with her dignity if nothing else.  "Hey, Bobby.  Thanks for coming to get me.  I'd walk and save you the trouble but I doubt I'd make it before curfew.  Scott'd have a cow if…"

            "Get in the car," he interrupted as he ushered her into the relative safety of the vehicle.  Without any knowledge of why she was on the road, on foot, in the middle of the night, he'd rather be abrupt and safe than kind and be in danger.  "Are you all right?" he asked as he pulled the passenger door open and practically shoved her in.  "Are you hurt any…"

            "Relax, Bobby," Jubilee said dejectedly as she watched him slide over the hood of the car and slam into the driver seat.  "No danger; not externally anyways."  

            "What does that mean?" he asked, shifting to gear one, two then three and hightailing it out.  

            She was silent as she reached over and turned the heat on in the car.  "Why does the inside of your car feel ten degree colder than the outside?"

            "Hello?  Codename Iceman?  Any of this ring a bell to you, kid?"

            "Don't call me that," she replied quietly and without any hint of annoyance as she usually displayed when called a kid.

            Heart jumping into his throat, Bobby had to swallow hard before he managed to ask what he didn't want to ever have to ask.  "Did he… did this Gerry guy do something that I'm going to have to rip his internal organs out and present them to you on a silver platter to atone for?"  

            Something resembling a choked laugh sounded in the car though Bobby could not see her face.  "If you're asking whether or not this guy try to force his…" she made a effort to search for a good word, "_Attentions on me, you can relax; the answer would be no, though probably not for the lack to wanting to."  _

            He hadn't even realized that he had been holding his breath while waiting for the answer until the it all came rushing out in a puff of white smoke that chilled the heated air inside the car.  Jubilee made a protesting noise and rubbed her left shoulder with her hand.   "Sorry."

            "It's okay," she muttered staring out the window and falling silent once more.  

            Knowing that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear, he couldn't help but ask it anyways.  "You want to tell me about it?"

            "Not really," she replied softly, her eyes still outside on the dark road.  "Besides which, you'll find out by morning when the town sheriff comes looking for me."

            His mind leapt to too many conclusions before he could reign in his overly active imagination.  "Tell me about it anyways so I can at least have a good night's sleep and not be up half the night thinking up every crazy thing that you could have done to be the cause of some railroading hick of a sheriff wanting to…"

            "I blew up Gerry's car.  And Gerry's best friends with the sheriff's son."  

            To his own surprise, Bobby didn't even react.  His mind went through another litany of whys and decided that it would probably be easier on his overly taxed mind if he just got the whole story from the horse's mouth.  "Can I ask why you decided to blow up the guy's car?"  

            "No."

            "No?"

            "No you may not ask why I blew up his car," she clarified firmly and cross her arms stubbornly over her chest, pulling the jacket tighter around herself.  "And can you not go all icy on me here?"

            Glancing at his hands, Bobby was surprise to find that his hands were iced up without his realizing it.  Not a good sign on his concentration.  "Did he say something he wasn't suppose to?  Suggest something you're not suppose to mention on first dates?"  

            She didn't turn from her steady viewing of the darkness outside the car.  "I don't want to talk about it."  

            He wondered who would get to Gerry first, Logan or Scott?  Warren might also want in on the action the way he's been hovering protectively over Jubilee lately; Bobby definitely suspected an paternal connection his friend had with the firecracker since Warren brought her back to life, he won't be the least bit surprised if the old playboy wanted to kick a little ass for whatever it was that happened.  Then of course there is Hank, who would be more than happy to rearrange some anatomy for his little Jubilation.  Heck, one of Hank's paws could probably…  "Did his hands go where they weren't supposed to?"

            "Stop guessing," she advised in a grumble.  "You're not very good at it."

            Nodding his head solemnly, "Well then, I guess I'll just have to get it from the horse's mouth.  You said he's best friend with the sheriff's son?"

            "Don't even think about it," she warned darkly, her hand coming and sparkling brightly in a cheerfully threatening manner.  

            Having faced Magneto, Apocalypse, Omega Red and an assortment of other villains that usually cracked people like eggs, Jubilee's little temper display didn't have any effect whatsoever.  "Well if you're not going to tell me, I've got to get the story somewhere, right?  And I'm always one to believe in getting to the heart of things and that means going to the first person account.  Since it's you or him; and you're not talking so it's got to be him."

            Muttering something under her breath that was probably better left unheard, Jubilee closed her fist on the small fireworks display in her palm and turned in her seat.  "If you must know, we had a little disagreement."

            Bobby wondered if all women were born with the innate ability to talk without telling anything.  "About?"

            "Stuff."

            "It's like pulling teeth," he replied irritably.  "Look, could you just give it to me all at once and not make me play twenty questions?  I did come out in the middle of the night to pick you up so you won't get hassled by Scott for coming home late and on foot.  The least you can do is tell me why I'm doing this instead of turning you over to the Professor or Logan to deal with."

            She sat there silently for a moment and stared at him with a hooded glaze that made him decisively uncomfortable.  There was something in that look that was nothing like the little girl Bobby remembered.  Smothering would be a good word for that look… and that's not a word he wanted to pin on _Little_ Jubilee.

            "Well?" he asked, needing to break the slowly heating silence that infused the car.  

            "He was saying stuff I didn't like," and before he could asked, "Stuff about mutants."

            Bobby blinked and shifted gears as he made a turn.  "Mutants?  He was talking trash about mutants with you there?"

            "I got the impression that he didn't know I was one."

            "He came to pick you up at the school.  How could he not know?"

            She shrugged and turned back to stare out the window.  "He asked if I was a student there and I told him no.  I think he thought that I worked there or something.  Like Annie."

            "Shit," he muttered and took a turn too fast, bring the car onto the two left wheels for a moment.  Jubilee didn't even blink as the car was jarred as it landed on four again.  "What the hell did he…"

            "Nothing of consequence now," she replied without any heat.  "Anyways, I lost my temper."

            "And blew up his car," he concluded with a nod.  

            "Yes."

            "Were you in it at the time?"

            "Do I look singed?"  

            "No."

            "There's your answer."

            "Was he in the car?"

            "Do I look stupid?"

            He turned to give her a look.  "For someone that just blew up a car…"

            That brought a reluctant smile onto her face.  "Okay, okay…"

            He drove silently for a moment.  "Are you all right?"

            "Yeah."

            The complete lack of spirit that the answer came with sent a shiver down his spine.  "No," he said quickly and pulled the car to the side of the road.  Turning off the engine, he turned to face her.  "I mean it, are you all right?"          

            Knowing exactly what he was talking about, Jubilee turned to look at him in the limited moonlight.  Her eyes were bright with unshed tears and her normally upturned lips were tugged at the corners.  Slowly, she shook her head.  Giving him plenty of time to back away from this, she leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder.  "This is what Angelo and Everett died for?"

            Closing his arms around her, Bobby brought her out of her seat and into his lap, careful not to bump her against the stick.  He didn't hear the crying but he did feel the hot tears that dropped to his shoulders and soaked the thin cotton tee he wore.  He can deal with Jubilee in all her moods, from the brat to the prankster to the angry fighter that lets nothing stand in her way… but a sad Jubilee… that was hard.  Nobody this good should ever be allowed to shed tears, not the necessary ones.  

            "Shh…." He stroked the baby fine hair that fell just below her shoulder blades.  "It's going to be okay."

            Head bumping against his shoulder, she continued to stay there until she was sure no cry would escape her.  Taking a deep breath, she have him a last hard squeeze before letting go.  Pulling away, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave him a watery smile.  "Sorry about that."

            "Why?" he asked quietly, brushing away a stray tear that hovered at the corner of her almond shaped eyes.  "You didn't do anything wrong."

            She smiled gratefully at him and allowed herself a moment of comfort in his arms.  "I hate being so weak all the time."

            Bobby felt something tug at his heart.  "You're not weak."  He unconsciously ran a hand along her arm.  "People that feel the need to fear the unknown, to belittle what they don't understand, to hate what is different… those are people that are weak.  You?  You're not weak.  You're stronger than ten regular joes put together and then some.  The stuff you've been through, the things you've seen, it could break a lesser person.  But you, you have this ability to only see the wonders of this ugly world and make it possible for even cynics like Warren and Scott wish and hope for something that is so much more than what we see ourselves.  You're too good to be true."

            A smile that came directly from the heart transformed her pale and unhappy face, it gave that beautiful countenance a radiance that was breathtaking to behold.  Throwing her arms around him once more, she pressed her face into his neck.  "What would I do without you, Bobby?"  

            An unidentifiable feels surrounded Bobby for a moment, something warm and wonderful.  Happiness? Contentment?  It was hard to describe.  He only knew that it came from knowing that he made his Jubilee smile, that he brought _her_ some form of contentment and happiness.  That he could put that sparkle back in her eyes.  

            It felt damn good.  

            This must be why Logan smiled so much when he's with her.  Why Scott felt the overwhelming need to protect her all the time.  Anyone that is capable of bringing this much delight should be protected, treasured… loved.

            Letting out a reluctant sigh, she pulled back.  "I guess we should go back and let me face Scott."

            "It'll be okay," he assured her and made a silent promise sure of it any ways he can… including some ideas of making it happen that he was sure Logan would be appallingly proud of.  

            "I know," she said with unflagging optimism.  "If nothing else, jail would be painless compared to Baison's little prison from hell."  She laughed at the thought.

            He, on the other hand, could find nothing funny about that.  He didn't need the reports from Scott and the others to imagine what could have… _did_ happen to her.  Until today, she never spoke to him about that awful experience; in fact, he hadn't heard anyone mention that she's spoken about those infinitely long and horrible days when she was at the mercy of a madman.  

            "The X-Men protect their own."

            "Never doubted that for a moment."  She nodded her head and pulled the jacket tighter.  "Want to start the car now and turn on the heater?  I'm freezing."

            "Told you to wear warmer clothes," he reminded her before turning the keys.

            "It won't be this cold if you weren't the Iceman," she pointed out with smile.  "Jean-Paul's car is never this cold."  

            "What were you doing in Jean-Paul's car?"

            "Making out."

            "WHAT?"

            The burst of laughter rang throughout the car.

            Bobby growled, "Brat."

            "You made it too easy."  She laughed again and leaned over to kiss his smooth cheek then rubbed his face clear of the pale lip gloss she thought she had pretty much rid herself of already on his shoulder.  "I just couldn't resist."

            "You're a pain," he told her with a smile.

            She smiled and shrugged.  "I know, but it's only one of my better qualities."

            "I shudder to think of the others," he replied and sighed.  "Why don't you head to bed, you've had a long day.  I'll handle Scott."

            "My mess, I'll take care of it."

            "Lean on someone for a change, Jube.  Let me help."    

            There was a heavy silence for a moment.  "I've leaned on someone-on everyone-for longer than I care to remember," she replied softly, her eyes staring into the night sky.  "If I'm going to survive in this world, I'm going to have to learn to stand on my own two feet for a change.  And that means that I've got to take responsibilities for my own actions."  

            "Jubilee…"

            "Come on Bobby," she said impatiently.  "You won't even be considering taking this on with Scott if it were anyone but me.  If this was Paige or Jono sitting here right now, you'd be yelling at them about how stupid and immature and _irresponsible they've acted.  But because it's __Little Jubilee, you want to play interference.  And let's face it, even if I were to face Scott, he won't do much more than grunt something unintelligible and simply cut a check to make the problem go away for me.  The most punishment I'd get is to have my allowance docked for a week or two.  Then it's back to status quo."  _

            Stunned by the bitter outburst, Bobby pulled over within sight of the mansion.  Parking the car and turning off the headlights, he reached over and switched on the internal lights so he could see her.  She was watching him with eyes there were dull and tried.  He reached out and touched her hand; his heart gave a painful lurch when she flinched on contact.  "What's going on, Jubilee?"  

            The deep sigh didn't bode well.  "Nothing."

            "Liar."

            "Takes one to know one."

            He frowned.  "I just want to help."

            "I know and I appreciate it."

            "So what's wrong?"

            "Nothing," she shook her head.  "You won't understand."

            "Try me?"

            Jubilee gave him a half smile.  "I'll pass thanks."

            "All right then," pocketing the keys, "Guess this is going to be a very long night after all."  Then sat back and relaxed looking very much ready to spend the rest of the evening in that position.  

            She raised a brow at him.  "You do realize that I can simply open the door and walk back to the house, right? We're like five hundred yards from the gates."

            "Yes," he answered easily.  

            Her eyes narrowed.  "But?"

            "But you'd have to get pass me first."

            Her eyes went wide now.  "You think that I can't?"

            "I know you can't," he came back with.  

            Clearing her throat delicately, "Need I remind you that I just blew up a car not too long ago?  You think this is a challenge to me?"

            "Car's don't fight back."

            "But you do?"

            "Yes."

            "You're really going to go head to head with me just because I don't want to talk?"

            "Yeah."

            "Why?"

            "Because once we begin to scrimmage, the rest of the team will be alerted within 5.5 seconds.  And when that happens, how long will it be before someone nags you into talking?"  

            That effectively cut off her considered idea of actually fighting it out with him.  "You don't fight fair."  

            "I don't have to."

            Unable to resist the temptation, Jubilee reached over and socked him in the shoulder.  "I hate people that don't fight fair."

            He wasn't even offended by the small attack.  "I know me too.  But if it means that I get to help you, then so be it."  

            The reluctant smile was touched with fondness.  "I hate being the youngest one here."

            Bobby laughed.  "Is that what this is about?"

            "No."

            "Then?"

            "I hate being the youngest. No one ever acknowledges the fact that even little firecrackers grow up."  Her fingers shot off colorful sparks that threw glows of magenta and yellow across the dashboard.  "Nothing ever changes when everyone still thinks that you're some thirteen year old that have no control over your powers and someone's always got to watch you because you might get hurt.  Everyone sees me as a liability.  First thing on anyone's mind when there is a fire fight is where is Jubilee and how do we get her out so she doesn't get caught in the cross fire."  She glanced briefly at him as her hand manipulated the small display to bring forth shapes. 

            Bobby was riveted by this exclusive performance.  Simple shapes came first, hearts, stars, diamonds and rainbows with multi colors.  Then she began to gain momentum with Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.  It wasn't until she began to bring to life England's Big Ben, Egypt's Sphinx, France's Eiffel Tower, the Rose Window of Notre Dame that Bobby began to suspect that this wasn't just a display of temper, it was a lesson.  

            Lifting his eyes to catch hers in the recreation of the Great Wall of China,           he casually asked, "When did you start to learn how to do this?"

            "When I realized that I couldn't stop Omega Red from kicking the shit out of my friends and nearly putting me a body bag?"  She closed her hands and allowed the dim light of the car to take over the illumination.  "I've come a long way but I'm never going to be near Tabitha Smith's league.  But that doesn't mean that I don't get to play with the big boys as well."  

            "No one said you couldn't."

            "_Oh please!" annoyed by his obvious reluctance to see two feet in front of him.  "You of all people know what's it's like to not be able to crawl out from other's perceptions of you.  Even you treat me like I'm too young to do anything more than 'guard the car.'  If guys have it your way, I'd be tucked away in some hidden boarding school in the middle of freakin' nowhere so you don't have to worry about someone coming after me."  _

            "And what's so wrong with that?" he asked indignantly because she had hit a little too close to the truth.  He would like nothing better than to hide her away from this hash world, keep that bright eye innocence forever locked in this sweet form.  "We love you.  We adore you.  Half the members of this team would be lost without you.  Excuse us if we care enough to want to protect you."  

            "Protecting is one thing but suffocating me is completely another!" she shouted back.  "For god sakes, I'm not twelve anymore.  I need my own space to grow, make mistakes, learn from them, get hurt, get maimed, get a sense of reality and hardship that no one wants me to experience. You cannot protect me forever.  _You're not always going to be there to help me._"  

            The silence was deafening until, "I want to be."

            That broke her.  "I know," feeling the tears well up in her eyes.  "I know," she reached across and hugged him tightly.  "But you can't be.  No one can.  Not always."  

            He held her fixedly, wishing he didn't feel this sudden and overwhelming sense of lost.  "You're really growing up aren't you?"

            Emitting a half broken laugh, "You said it like it was an unexpected thing."

            He nodded his head.  "I guess it was somewhat unexpected.  I just… I just always thought of you as my prank partner."

            Her arms convulsed around him once more.  "I can still be that."

            "Good," he murmured, pressing his face into her hair, wondering why he could almost feel something wonderful slipping away.  "I don't want to lose that.  I don't ever want to lose you."

            "Me either.  What would I do without you, Bobby?"

            Bobby shook his head.  The better question would be what would he do without her?  

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Okay, that was completely not what I had in mind when I began this story.  Oh well….


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